{"id":51,"date":"2017-12-07T19:45:40","date_gmt":"2017-12-08T00:45:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwritingh5p\/chapter\/importanceverbs\/"},"modified":"2021-02-26T14:36:16","modified_gmt":"2021-02-26T19:36:16","slug":"importanceverbs","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwritingh5p\/chapter\/importanceverbs\/","title":{"raw":"2.4 The Importance of Verbs","rendered":"2.4 The Importance of Verbs"},"content":{"raw":"Much of the style advice given so far revolves around the importance of verbs. Think of your sentence as a machine, and the verb as the engine that makes the machine work. Like machines, sentences can function efficiently or inefficiently, and the use of a strong verb is one way to make them work effectively. Here are some key principles regarding the effective use of verbs in your sentences. While effective sentences may occasionally deviate from the suggestions in this list, try to follow these guidelines as often as possible:\n<ul>\n \t<li>Keep the subject and the verb close together; avoid separating them with words or phrases that could create confusion<\/li>\n \t<li>Place the verb near the beginning of the sentence (and close to the subject)<\/li>\n \t<li>Maintain a high verb\/word ratio in your sentence<\/li>\n \t<li>Prefer active verb constructions over passive ones<\/li>\n \t<li>Avoid \u201cto be\u201d verbs (am, is, are, was, were, being, been, be)<\/li>\n \t<li>Try to turn nominalizations (abstract nouns) back into verbs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nUse the verb strength chart in <strong>Table 2.4.1<\/strong> as a guide to \u201celevate\u201d weaker verbs (or words with implied action) in a sentence to stronger forms.\n<table class=\"grid\" style=\"border-collapse: collapse;width: 100%\" border=\"1\"><caption>TABLE 2.4.1 Verb strength chart<\/caption>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%;text-align: center\" colspan=\"3\">[<a href=\"#01\">Skip Table<\/a>]<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"shaded\" style=\"width: 35%;text-align: center\" scope=\"col\"><strong>Verb Forms<\/strong><\/th>\n<th class=\"shaded\" style=\"width: 20%;text-align: center\" scope=\"col\"><strong>Verb Strength<\/strong><\/th>\n<th class=\"shaded\" style=\"width: 45%;text-align: center\" scope=\"col\"><strong>Examples<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 35%\">Command\/Imperative<\/td>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 20%\" rowspan=\"6\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>STRONG<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-50 \" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/knowinghome\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1298\/2018\/11\/arrow-updown-1-32x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"56\" height=\"525\"><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>WEAK<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 45%\">\n<p class=\"table-para\"><strong>Maintain<\/strong> the machine properly!<\/p>\n<p class=\"table-para\"><strong>Write<\/strong> the report!<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 35%\"><strong>Active Indicative*<\/strong>\n\n(S \u2192 V)<\/td>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 45%\">\n<p class=\"table-para\">He <strong>maintains<\/strong> the machine regularly.<\/p>\n<p class=\"table-para\">She <strong>writes<\/strong> reports frequently.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 35%\">Active conditional<\/td>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 45%\">\n<p class=\"table-para\">She <strong>would maintain<\/strong> the machine <strong>if<\/strong> he would let her.<\/p>\n<p class=\"table-para\">He <strong>would write<\/strong> reports if he had more training.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 35%\">Gerunds ( __ -ing)\n\nInfinitives (to ___)\n\n(<em>these do not function as verbs in your sentence; actual verbs are highlighted in <span style=\"background-color: #ffff99\">yellow<\/span><\/em>)<\/td>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 45%\">\n<p class=\"table-para\">While <strong>maintaining<\/strong> the machine, he <span style=\"background-color: #ffff99\">gets<\/span> quite dirty.<\/p>\n<p class=\"table-para\">Report <strong>writing<\/strong> <span style=\"background-color: #ffff99\">takes<\/span> skill.<\/p>\n<p class=\"table-para\">It <span style=\"background-color: #ffff99\">takes<\/span> a lot of time <strong>to maintain<\/strong> this machine.<\/p>\n<p class=\"table-para\"><strong>To write<\/strong> effectively, one must <span style=\"background-color: #ffff99\">get<\/span> a sense of the audience.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 35%\">Passive\u00a0\u00a0 (S \u2190 V)\n\nPassive Conditional<\/td>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 45%\">\n<p class=\"table-para\">The machine <strong>is maintained<\/strong> by him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"table-para\">It <strong>would be maintained<\/strong> by her if...<\/p>\n<p class=\"table-para\">The report <strong>was written<\/strong> by her.<\/p>\n<p class=\"table-para\">Reports <strong>would be written<\/strong> by him if...<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 35%\">Nominalizations (<em>verbs turned into abstract nouns)<\/em>\n\nParticiples (<em>nouns or adjectives that used to be verbs<\/em>)<\/td>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 45%\">\n<p class=\"table-para\">Machine <strong>maintenance<\/strong> <span style=\"background-color: #ffff99\">is<\/span> dirty work.<\/p>\n<p class=\"table-para\">A well-<strong>maintained<\/strong> machine <span style=\"background-color: #ffff99\">is<\/span> a thing of beauty.<\/p>\n<p class=\"table-para\"><strong>Written<\/strong> work must <span style=\"background-color: #ffff99\">be<\/span> free of errors.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<a id=\"01\" href=\"\"><\/a>While you are not likely to use the command form very often, unless you are writing instructions, the second strongest form, <strong>Active Indicative,<\/strong> is the one you want to use most often (say, in about 80% of your sentences).\n\nPart of the skill of using active verbs lies in choosing the verbs that precisely describes the action you want to convey. English speakers have become somewhat lazy in choosing a small selection of verbs most of the time (<em>to<\/em> <em>be, to do, to get, to make, to have, to put<\/em>); as a result, these often-used verbs have come to have so many possible meanings that they are almost meaningless. Try looking up \"make\" or \"have\" in the dictionary; you will see pages and pages of possible meanings! Whenever possible, avoid these <strong>bland<\/strong> verbs and use more precise, descriptive verbs, as indicated in <strong>Table 2.4.2<\/strong>.\n<table class=\"grid\" style=\"border-collapse: collapse;width: 100%\" border=\"1\"><caption>TABLE 2.4.2 Bland vs. descriptive verbs<\/caption>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 30%;text-align: center\" colspan=\"2\">[<a href=\"#02\">Skip Table<\/a>]<strong>\n<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"shaded\" style=\"width: 30%;text-align: center\" scope=\"col\"><strong>Bland Verbs<\/strong><\/th>\n<th class=\"shaded\" style=\"width: 70%;text-align: center\" scope=\"col\"><strong>Descriptive Verbs<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 30%\">\n<p class=\"table-para\">Signal Verbs:<\/p>\n<p class=\"table-para\" style=\"padding-left: 30px\">Says\nStates\nTalks about\nDiscusses\nWrites<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 70%\">\n<p class=\"table-para\">Describe the rhetorical purpose behind what the author\/speaker \"says\":<\/p>\n<p class=\"table-para\" style=\"padding-left: 30px\">Explains, clarifies\nDescribes, illustrates\nClaims, argues, maintains\nAsserts, stresses, emphasizes\nRecommends, urges, suggests<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 30%\">\n<p class=\"table-para\">Is, are, was, were being been<\/p>\n<p class=\"table-para\">Is <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><em>verb<\/em><\/span>-ing<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 70%\">\n<p class=\"table-para\">Instead of indicating what or how something \"<strong>is<\/strong>,\" describe what it <strong>DOES<\/strong>, by choosing a precise, active verb.<\/p>\n<p class=\"table-para\">Replace progressive form (<em>is ___ing<\/em>) with\u00a0 indicative form<\/p>\n<p class=\"table-para\" style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><em>She is describing<\/em> \u2192<em> She describes<\/em><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 30%\">\n<p class=\"table-para\">Get, gets<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 70%\">\n<p class=\"table-para\">Usually too colloquial (or passive); instead you could use more specific verbs such as<\/p>\n<p class=\"table-para\" style=\"padding-left: 30px\">Become, acquire, obtain, receive, prepare, achieve, earn, contract, catch, understand, appreciate, <em>etc<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 30%\">\n<p class=\"table-para\">Do, does<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 70%\">\n<p class=\"table-para\">Avoid using the <em>emphatic<\/em> tense in formal writing:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\">It <em>does<\/em> work\u00a0\u2192\u00a0 it <strong>works<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"table-para\" style=\"padding-left: 30px\">I <em>do <\/em>crack when I see apostrophe errors \u2192 I <strong>crack<\/strong> when I see apostrophe errors.<\/p>\n<p class=\"table-para\">Instead:\u00a0 Perform, prepare, complete, <em>etc<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 30%\">\n<p class=\"table-para\">Has, have<\/p>\n<p class=\"table-para\">Has to, have to<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 70%\">This verb has many potential meanings! Try to find a more specific verb that \"have\/has\" or \"has to\":\n<ul>\n \t<li class=\"table-para\">She <strong>owns<\/strong> a car<\/li>\n \t<li class=\"table-para\">They <strong>consume\/eat<\/strong> a meal<\/li>\n \t<li class=\"table-para\">The product <strong>includes<\/strong> many optional features<\/li>\n \t<li class=\"table-para\">The process <strong>entails<\/strong> several steps<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"table-para\">Instead of \"have to\" try:\u00a0 Must, require, need, <em>etc<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 30%\">\n<p class=\"table-para\">Make<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 70%\">\n<p class=\"table-para\">Build, construct, erect, devise, create, design, manufacture, produce, prepare, earn, <em>etc<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"table-para\" style=\"padding-left: 30px\">Make a recommendation \u2192 recommend\nMake a promise \u2192 promise\nMake a plan \u2192 plan<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<a id=\"02\" href=\"\"><\/a>For more detailed information on using signal verbs when introducing quotations, see <a href=\"\/technicalwritingh5p\/chapter\/appendixc-integratingevidence\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Appendix C: Integrating Source Evidence into Your Writing<\/a>.\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">EXERCISE 2.6 Improve the following sentences by elevating the verb and cutting clutter<\/p>\n\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<ol>\n \t<li>Market share <strong>is being lost<\/strong> by the company, as <strong>is shown<\/strong> in the graph in Figure 3.<\/li>\n \t<li>A descrip<strong>tion<\/strong> of the product <strong>is given<\/strong> by the author.<\/li>\n \t<li>An investiga<strong>tion<\/strong> of the issue <strong>has been conducted <\/strong>by her.<\/li>\n \t<li>His task is<strong> regional database systems troubleshooting handbook preparation.<\/strong><\/li>\n \t<li>While a recommendat<strong>ion<\/strong> <strong>has been made<\/strong> by the committee, an agree<strong>ment<\/strong> to increase the budget will have <strong>to be approved<\/strong> by the committee.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\"><header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">EXERCISE 2.7 Revision practice<\/p>\n\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n\nThe following paragraph on <strong>The Effects of Energy Drinks<\/strong> does not conform to the 7Cs and contains far too many \"to be\" verbs. Revise this paragraph so that it has a clear topic sentence, coherent transitions, correct grammar, and concise phrasing. In particular, try to eliminate all \"to be\" verbs (am, is, are, was, were, being, been, be), and rephrase using strong, descriptive, active verbs. The first 7 are highlighted for you. Try to cut the word count (260) in half.\n<div class=\"textbox\">Energy Drinks <span style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">are<\/span> able <span style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">to be<\/span> consumed in many varied and different ways by people all over the world. Moreover, drinking these energy drinks <span style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">is<\/span> able to provide people in today\u2019s society with the helpful benefits of increased awareness and energy. Besides, even though there <span style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">are<\/span> enhancements that may <span style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">be<\/span> present from drinking an energy drink, the negative side effects <span style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">are<\/span> posing more of a threat to a person than the energy boost that <span style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">is<\/span> able to <span style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">be<\/span> achieved. In a survey that was taken in the United States at an American university, it was reported that fifty one percent of participants were consuming greater than three energy drinks each month in the semester [1]. Looking at this statistic, it can be seen that a majority of students in university are drinking energy a large amount of drinks on a very regular basis. Which can be the cause of some health problems experienced by students. In the same study, it was also shown that energy drinks are capable of helping to increase energy and athletic endurance; for those who drank it. Despite the fact that there are some benefits to be had from drinking energy drinks, there is the problem of the negative side affects that are caused by the drinking of these energy drinks. However, the side affects that were commonly reported in the study are: headaches, and \u201cenergy crashes\u201d (Smith 5). Being a potentially more severe problem than the minor problems of headaches and \u201ccrashes;\u201d there is definitely the possibility of people which are becoming addicted to caffeine.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nHere is the exercise in a Word document for you to download and revise:\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><a href=\"\/technicalwritingh5p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/296\/2017\/12\/Revision-Exercise-Energy-Drinks.docx\">Revision Exercise - Energy Drinks (.docx)<\/a><\/p>\nAfter trying the exercise, click on the link below to compare your revision to effective revisions of this passage done by other students:\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwritingh5p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/296\/2017\/12\/Sample-Revisions-of-Exercise-2.7.docx\">Sample Revisions of Exercise 2.7 (.docx)<\/a><\/p>\n<strong>Table 2.4.3<\/strong> sums up many key characteristics of effective professional style that you should try to avoid (poor style) and implement (effective style) while writing technical documents.\n<div>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse;width: 100%\" border=\"1\"><caption>TABLE 2.4.3 Key characteristics of effective professional style<\/caption>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"shaded\" style=\"width: 50%;text-align: center\" scope=\"col\"><strong>Poor Style<\/strong><\/th>\n<th class=\"shaded\" style=\"width: 50%;text-align: center\" scope=\"col\"><strong>Effective Style<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 50%\">Low VERB\/WORD ratio per sentence<\/td>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 50%\">High VERB\/WORD ratio per sentence<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 50%\">Excessive \u2018is\/are\u2019 verbs<\/td>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 50%\">Concrete, descriptive verbs<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 50%\">Excessive passive verb constructions<\/td>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 50%\">Active verb constructions<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 50%\">Abstract or vague nouns<\/td>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 50%\">Concrete and specific nouns<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 50%\">Many prepositional phrases<\/td>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 50%\">Few prepositional phrases<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 50%\">Subject and verb are separated by words or phrases<\/td>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 50%\">Subject and verb are close together<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 50%\">Verb is near the end of the sentence<\/td>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 50%\">Verb is near the beginning of the sentence<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 50%\">Main idea (subject-verb relationship) is difficult to find<\/td>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 50%\">Main idea is clear<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 50%\">Sentence must be read more than once to understand it<\/td>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 50%\">Meaning is clear the first time you read it<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 50%\">Long, rambling sentences<\/td>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 50%\">Precise, specific sentences<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>","rendered":"<p>Much of the style advice given so far revolves around the importance of verbs. Think of your sentence as a machine, and the verb as the engine that makes the machine work. Like machines, sentences can function efficiently or inefficiently, and the use of a strong verb is one way to make them work effectively. Here are some key principles regarding the effective use of verbs in your sentences. While effective sentences may occasionally deviate from the suggestions in this list, try to follow these guidelines as often as possible:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Keep the subject and the verb close together; avoid separating them with words or phrases that could create confusion<\/li>\n<li>Place the verb near the beginning of the sentence (and close to the subject)<\/li>\n<li>Maintain a high verb\/word ratio in your sentence<\/li>\n<li>Prefer active verb constructions over passive ones<\/li>\n<li>Avoid \u201cto be\u201d verbs (am, is, are, was, were, being, been, be)<\/li>\n<li>Try to turn nominalizations (abstract nouns) back into verbs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Use the verb strength chart in <strong>Table 2.4.1<\/strong> as a guide to \u201celevate\u201d weaker verbs (or words with implied action) in a sentence to stronger forms.<\/p>\n<table class=\"grid\" style=\"border-collapse: collapse;width: 100%\">\n<caption>TABLE 2.4.1 Verb strength chart<\/caption>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%;text-align: center\" colspan=\"3\">[<a href=\"#01\">Skip Table<\/a>]<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"shaded\" style=\"width: 35%;text-align: center\" scope=\"col\"><strong>Verb Forms<\/strong><\/th>\n<th class=\"shaded\" style=\"width: 20%;text-align: center\" scope=\"col\"><strong>Verb Strength<\/strong><\/th>\n<th class=\"shaded\" style=\"width: 45%;text-align: center\" scope=\"col\"><strong>Examples<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 35%\">Command\/Imperative<\/td>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 20%\" rowspan=\"6\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>STRONG<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-50\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/knowinghome\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1298\/2018\/11\/arrow-updown-1-32x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"56\" height=\"525\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>WEAK<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 45%\">\n<p class=\"table-para\"><strong>Maintain<\/strong> the machine properly!<\/p>\n<p class=\"table-para\"><strong>Write<\/strong> the report!<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 35%\"><strong>Active Indicative*<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>(S \u2192 V)<\/td>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 45%\">\n<p class=\"table-para\">He <strong>maintains<\/strong> the machine regularly.<\/p>\n<p class=\"table-para\">She <strong>writes<\/strong> reports frequently.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 35%\">Active conditional<\/td>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 45%\">\n<p class=\"table-para\">She <strong>would maintain<\/strong> the machine <strong>if<\/strong> he would let her.<\/p>\n<p class=\"table-para\">He <strong>would write<\/strong> reports if he had more training.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 35%\">Gerunds ( __ -ing)<\/p>\n<p>Infinitives (to ___)<\/p>\n<p>(<em>these do not function as verbs in your sentence; actual verbs are highlighted in <span style=\"background-color: #ffff99\">yellow<\/span><\/em>)<\/td>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 45%\">\n<p class=\"table-para\">While <strong>maintaining<\/strong> the machine, he <span style=\"background-color: #ffff99\">gets<\/span> quite dirty.<\/p>\n<p class=\"table-para\">Report <strong>writing<\/strong> <span style=\"background-color: #ffff99\">takes<\/span> skill.<\/p>\n<p class=\"table-para\">It <span style=\"background-color: #ffff99\">takes<\/span> a lot of time <strong>to maintain<\/strong> this machine.<\/p>\n<p class=\"table-para\"><strong>To write<\/strong> effectively, one must <span style=\"background-color: #ffff99\">get<\/span> a sense of the audience.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 35%\">Passive\u00a0\u00a0 (S \u2190 V)<\/p>\n<p>Passive Conditional<\/td>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 45%\">\n<p class=\"table-para\">The machine <strong>is maintained<\/strong> by him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"table-para\">It <strong>would be maintained<\/strong> by her if&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"table-para\">The report <strong>was written<\/strong> by her.<\/p>\n<p class=\"table-para\">Reports <strong>would be written<\/strong> by him if&#8230;<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 35%\">Nominalizations (<em>verbs turned into abstract nouns)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Participles (<em>nouns or adjectives that used to be verbs<\/em>)<\/td>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 45%\">\n<p class=\"table-para\">Machine <strong>maintenance<\/strong> <span style=\"background-color: #ffff99\">is<\/span> dirty work.<\/p>\n<p class=\"table-para\">A well-<strong>maintained<\/strong> machine <span style=\"background-color: #ffff99\">is<\/span> a thing of beauty.<\/p>\n<p class=\"table-para\"><strong>Written<\/strong> work must <span style=\"background-color: #ffff99\">be<\/span> free of errors.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><a id=\"01\" href=\"\"><\/a>While you are not likely to use the command form very often, unless you are writing instructions, the second strongest form, <strong>Active Indicative,<\/strong> is the one you want to use most often (say, in about 80% of your sentences).<\/p>\n<p>Part of the skill of using active verbs lies in choosing the verbs that precisely describes the action you want to convey. English speakers have become somewhat lazy in choosing a small selection of verbs most of the time (<em>to<\/em> <em>be, to do, to get, to make, to have, to put<\/em>); as a result, these often-used verbs have come to have so many possible meanings that they are almost meaningless. Try looking up &#8220;make&#8221; or &#8220;have&#8221; in the dictionary; you will see pages and pages of possible meanings! Whenever possible, avoid these <strong>bland<\/strong> verbs and use more precise, descriptive verbs, as indicated in <strong>Table 2.4.2<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<table class=\"grid\" style=\"border-collapse: collapse;width: 100%\">\n<caption>TABLE 2.4.2 Bland vs. descriptive verbs<\/caption>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 30%;text-align: center\" colspan=\"2\">[<a href=\"#02\">Skip Table<\/a>]<strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"shaded\" style=\"width: 30%;text-align: center\" scope=\"col\"><strong>Bland Verbs<\/strong><\/th>\n<th class=\"shaded\" style=\"width: 70%;text-align: center\" scope=\"col\"><strong>Descriptive Verbs<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 30%\">\n<p class=\"table-para\">Signal Verbs:<\/p>\n<p class=\"table-para\" style=\"padding-left: 30px\">Says<br \/>\nStates<br \/>\nTalks about<br \/>\nDiscusses<br \/>\nWrites<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 70%\">\n<p class=\"table-para\">Describe the rhetorical purpose behind what the author\/speaker &#8220;says&#8221;:<\/p>\n<p class=\"table-para\" style=\"padding-left: 30px\">Explains, clarifies<br \/>\nDescribes, illustrates<br \/>\nClaims, argues, maintains<br \/>\nAsserts, stresses, emphasizes<br \/>\nRecommends, urges, suggests<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 30%\">\n<p class=\"table-para\">Is, are, was, were being been<\/p>\n<p class=\"table-para\">Is <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><em>verb<\/em><\/span>-ing<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 70%\">\n<p class=\"table-para\">Instead of indicating what or how something &#8220;<strong>is<\/strong>,&#8221; describe what it <strong>DOES<\/strong>, by choosing a precise, active verb.<\/p>\n<p class=\"table-para\">Replace progressive form (<em>is ___ing<\/em>) with\u00a0 indicative form<\/p>\n<p class=\"table-para\" style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><em>She is describing<\/em> \u2192<em> She describes<\/em><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 30%\">\n<p class=\"table-para\">Get, gets<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 70%\">\n<p class=\"table-para\">Usually too colloquial (or passive); instead you could use more specific verbs such as<\/p>\n<p class=\"table-para\" style=\"padding-left: 30px\">Become, acquire, obtain, receive, prepare, achieve, earn, contract, catch, understand, appreciate, <em>etc<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 30%\">\n<p class=\"table-para\">Do, does<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 70%\">\n<p class=\"table-para\">Avoid using the <em>emphatic<\/em> tense in formal writing:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\">It <em>does<\/em> work\u00a0\u2192\u00a0 it <strong>works<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"table-para\" style=\"padding-left: 30px\">I <em>do <\/em>crack when I see apostrophe errors \u2192 I <strong>crack<\/strong> when I see apostrophe errors.<\/p>\n<p class=\"table-para\">Instead:\u00a0 Perform, prepare, complete, <em>etc<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 30%\">\n<p class=\"table-para\">Has, have<\/p>\n<p class=\"table-para\">Has to, have to<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 70%\">This verb has many potential meanings! Try to find a more specific verb that &#8220;have\/has&#8221; or &#8220;has to&#8221;:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"table-para\">She <strong>owns<\/strong> a car<\/li>\n<li class=\"table-para\">They <strong>consume\/eat<\/strong> a meal<\/li>\n<li class=\"table-para\">The product <strong>includes<\/strong> many optional features<\/li>\n<li class=\"table-para\">The process <strong>entails<\/strong> several steps<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"table-para\">Instead of &#8220;have to&#8221; try:\u00a0 Must, require, need, <em>etc<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 30%\">\n<p class=\"table-para\">Make<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 70%\">\n<p class=\"table-para\">Build, construct, erect, devise, create, design, manufacture, produce, prepare, earn, <em>etc<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"table-para\" style=\"padding-left: 30px\">Make a recommendation \u2192 recommend<br \/>\nMake a promise \u2192 promise<br \/>\nMake a plan \u2192 plan<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><a id=\"02\" href=\"\"><\/a>For more detailed information on using signal verbs when introducing quotations, see <a href=\"\/technicalwritingh5p\/chapter\/appendixc-integratingevidence\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Appendix C: Integrating Source Evidence into Your Writing<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">EXERCISE 2.6 Improve the following sentences by elevating the verb and cutting clutter<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<ol>\n<li>Market share <strong>is being lost<\/strong> by the company, as <strong>is shown<\/strong> in the graph in Figure 3.<\/li>\n<li>A descrip<strong>tion<\/strong> of the product <strong>is given<\/strong> by the author.<\/li>\n<li>An investiga<strong>tion<\/strong> of the issue <strong>has been conducted <\/strong>by her.<\/li>\n<li>His task is<strong> regional database systems troubleshooting handbook preparation.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>While a recommendat<strong>ion<\/strong> <strong>has been made<\/strong> by the committee, an agree<strong>ment<\/strong> to increase the budget will have <strong>to be approved<\/strong> by the committee.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox textbox--exercises\">\n<header class=\"textbox__header\">\n<p class=\"textbox__title\">EXERCISE 2.7 Revision practice<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"textbox__content\">\n<p>The following paragraph on <strong>The Effects of Energy Drinks<\/strong> does not conform to the 7Cs and contains far too many &#8220;to be&#8221; verbs. Revise this paragraph so that it has a clear topic sentence, coherent transitions, correct grammar, and concise phrasing. In particular, try to eliminate all &#8220;to be&#8221; verbs (am, is, are, was, were, being, been, be), and rephrase using strong, descriptive, active verbs. The first 7 are highlighted for you. Try to cut the word count (260) in half.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox\">Energy Drinks <span style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">are<\/span> able <span style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">to be<\/span> consumed in many varied and different ways by people all over the world. Moreover, drinking these energy drinks <span style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">is<\/span> able to provide people in today\u2019s society with the helpful benefits of increased awareness and energy. Besides, even though there <span style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">are<\/span> enhancements that may <span style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">be<\/span> present from drinking an energy drink, the negative side effects <span style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">are<\/span> posing more of a threat to a person than the energy boost that <span style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">is<\/span> able to <span style=\"background-color: #ffff00\">be<\/span> achieved. In a survey that was taken in the United States at an American university, it was reported that fifty one percent of participants were consuming greater than three energy drinks each month in the semester [1]. Looking at this statistic, it can be seen that a majority of students in university are drinking energy a large amount of drinks on a very regular basis. Which can be the cause of some health problems experienced by students. In the same study, it was also shown that energy drinks are capable of helping to increase energy and athletic endurance; for those who drank it. Despite the fact that there are some benefits to be had from drinking energy drinks, there is the problem of the negative side affects that are caused by the drinking of these energy drinks. However, the side affects that were commonly reported in the study are: headaches, and \u201cenergy crashes\u201d (Smith 5). Being a potentially more severe problem than the minor problems of headaches and \u201ccrashes;\u201d there is definitely the possibility of people which are becoming addicted to caffeine.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Here is the exercise in a Word document for you to download and revise:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><a href=\"\/technicalwritingh5p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/296\/2017\/12\/Revision-Exercise-Energy-Drinks.docx\">Revision Exercise &#8211; Energy Drinks (.docx)<\/a><\/p>\n<p>After trying the exercise, click on the link below to compare your revision to effective revisions of this passage done by other students:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwritingh5p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/296\/2017\/12\/Sample-Revisions-of-Exercise-2.7.docx\">Sample Revisions of Exercise 2.7 (.docx)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Table 2.4.3<\/strong> sums up many key characteristics of effective professional style that you should try to avoid (poor style) and implement (effective style) while writing technical documents.<\/p>\n<div>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse;width: 100%\">\n<caption>TABLE 2.4.3 Key characteristics of effective professional style<\/caption>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th class=\"shaded\" style=\"width: 50%;text-align: center\" scope=\"col\"><strong>Poor Style<\/strong><\/th>\n<th class=\"shaded\" style=\"width: 50%;text-align: center\" scope=\"col\"><strong>Effective Style<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 50%\">Low VERB\/WORD ratio per sentence<\/td>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 50%\">High VERB\/WORD ratio per sentence<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 50%\">Excessive \u2018is\/are\u2019 verbs<\/td>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 50%\">Concrete, descriptive verbs<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 50%\">Excessive passive verb constructions<\/td>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 50%\">Active verb constructions<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 50%\">Abstract or vague nouns<\/td>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 50%\">Concrete and specific nouns<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 50%\">Many prepositional phrases<\/td>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 50%\">Few prepositional phrases<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 50%\">Subject and verb are separated by words or phrases<\/td>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 50%\">Subject and verb are close together<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 50%\">Verb is near the end of the sentence<\/td>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 50%\">Verb is near the beginning of the sentence<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 50%\">Main idea (subject-verb relationship) is difficult to find<\/td>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 50%\">Main idea is clear<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 50%\">Sentence must be read more than once to understand it<\/td>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 50%\">Meaning is clear the first time you read it<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 50%\">Long, rambling sentences<\/td>\n<td class=\"border\" style=\"width: 50%\">Precise, specific sentences<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":103,"menu_order":4,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[48],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-51","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry","chapter-type-numberless"],"part":39,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwritingh5p\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/51","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwritingh5p\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwritingh5p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwritingh5p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/103"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwritingh5p\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/51\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":52,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwritingh5p\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/51\/revisions\/52"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwritingh5p\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/39"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwritingh5p\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/51\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwritingh5p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwritingh5p\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=51"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwritingh5p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=51"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/technicalwritingh5p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=51"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}